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Broadway, ever controversial
This is a political cartoon from the Clintonville Booster. The “Broadway Extension” involved extending North Broadway from Olentangy River Road westward to Kenny Road. It was a controversial and lightning-hot issue from about 1952 until the planned start of construction in October 1963, and well beyond.
Originally, residents of Upper Arlington objected to the extension, which traversed their city; and then it was realized that the extension would create traffic flow issues on Kenny and Fishinger both of which would need to be widened as a result. And eventually planning of the “Olentangy Freeway” (Rte 315) also entered the mix. It was on again, off again, with Upper Arlington approving then rescinding its approval several times. By the time the project got final approval, the designated federal funding had been tapped for other projects and so the extension was further delayed. I’m not sure what year this cartoon was published. I found an article that construction from Kenny Road to Clearview got underway in June 1966. In December 1968, there was a ribbon cutting ceremony for the extension.
It’s hard for many of us today to imagine North Broadway terminating at Olentangy River Road. Harder even to imagine Clintonville before the North Broadway bridge was built over the river in 1939! (In a nutshell: the bridge over the river was built 1939-40; United States involvement in World War II was 1941 – 1945, bringing most domestic construction to a halt; planning on this Broadway extension project resumes ca. 1952, ending well, I’m not sure when Route 315 was actually finished.)
[Image is from The Booster, and courtesy of the Hollenback Collection at the Clintonville Historical Society. I snapped a picture of the cartoon while it was still in the frame; apologies for the glare.]Gulf Station
This gas and service station was located at the northeast corner of North High Street and Indian Springs Drive. The old building was renovated to transform it into a Fusian Restaurant. (Thanks to Bob O’Shaughnessy, who informed me that this is Fusion’s preferred method of developing new restaurants.) Can anyone out there name the men?
Note the “two laugh-crammed pictures” at the movie theater in the background.
[Image courtesy of the Hollenback Collection of the Clintonville Historical Society.]Remembering the Rosemary Neighborhood by Knopf & Near
David Penniman, a resident of the Rosemary neighborhood, sleuthed out a copy of a document penned in 1984-88 by Richard C Knopf and Miriam F Near. The document, entitled Reminiscences: Not Memoirs, is a free-wheeling remembrance of growing up in the neighborhood around Henderson and Rosemary Parkway in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Dave’s copy came from Ann and Keith Bossard of Dominion Blvd; Dave then digitized the 97 page book and shared it with us. Thanks, Dave!
Both Richard and Miriam are deceased; their obituaries are linked below.
Richard C Knopf, 1/4/1925 – 7/17/2002
Miriam Fowle Near, 6/28/1924 – 12/10/2009
I’m so appreciative of people who preserve local history, as Richard and Miriam, and Dave, have done.
[Digital version of the Knopf and Near typescript courtesy of David Penniman. Knopf obituary came courtesy of the Ashtabula Public Library System based on a search and tip from Nick Taggart, retired librarian par excellence at the Columbus Metropolitan Library.]Coasting Along
A roller coaster at Olentangy Amusement Park. [Photo courtesy of Galen Gonser]
Tee-Jaye’s Famous Sign
There’s been lots of news lately about the departure of Tee-Jaye’s Country Place Restaurant from the north east corner of North High and Morse Roads–and with that, much discussion of the neon sign on that corner. (I’m writing this in April 2021.)
Since 1960, the 4910 North High Street address has been a Jerry’s, then a Sisters’, then Tee-Jaye’s.
Mary Rodgers found this wonderful ad for the opening of Jerry’s in the Columbus Dispatch, Sept 12, 1961. The original neon sign was designed by Fred M. Ervin (Fred I and Fred II), of Fred M. Ervin Sign Service, 2447 Middlesex Rd, Upper Arlington. That company was later operated by Fred M. Ervin III until his death in 2006 as FM Ervin Sign and Lighting.
(As an aside, I love the “Cigarettes and Music Systems provided by Charies” in that ad.)
When Sisters took over the site and sign in 1986, the building was redesigned by architect Jerry Shremshock. The company modified the sign somewhat; Jim Baxter, of the DaNite Sign Company updated the sign.
[Research courtesy of Mary Rodgers, Jim Garrison; Source material from the Columbus Dispatch.]80 West Cooke Avenue
This lovely home at 80 West Cooke Rd was originally built in 1925 for Lulu & Carl Cooke. The Cookes owned it for 40 years, and the house has only had 4 owners since it was built. Fortunately the home’s original character and charm has been maintained throughout the years.
I believe I’ve passed the house many times without noticing it, and suspect its lines were obscured by foliage until recently. What a gem it is!
The house is in the Rosemary housing division, developed by Charles Johnson in 1923 and named after his mother.
As a side note, the Mediterranean Revival style–so unusual in Clintonville–reminds me of the old Zimmerman home that used to be located at the NW corner of Henderson and Olentangy River Roads.
There are also examples of that style at 44 West Jeffrey Place (left photo below) and 223 West Beechwold Blvd (right photo below) in Old Beechwold. An historic inventory for 44 West Jeffrey can be found here. 223 West Beechwold seems to have had the address “4923 West Beechwold” and may have been designed by architect Frank Kinzig, according to the Old Beechwold Historic District Nomination.
My friend Nancy Campbell tells me that in the 1920s, there was a lot of interest in exotic styles for houses, usually attributed to the young men who came back from WWI. Having seen more of the world, they were interested in Tudor, Mediterranean, Mission, Chateauesque (French) styles. The Sears and Aladdin kit houses, though offering predominantly Craftsman or “plain” styles, also offered the others. These three houses were more upscale versions of an interesting mix of styles. According to Virginia McAlester’s book, A Field Guide to American Houses: The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America’s Domestic Architecture, tile roofs were used in Spanish Eclectic, Mission, Italian Renaissance, and Prairie styles. The Cooke Rd. house seems somewhat Tudor, with the “musicians’ balcony” overlooking the living room.
[Real estate listing & photos courtesy of Judy Minister; historic architecture information from Nancy Campbell.]